Open front refrigerated cabinet



y 1953 P. H. BRINKOETER 2,637,982

OPEN FRONT REFRIGERATED CAB INET Filed Aug. 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 2, 1953 P. H. BRINKOETER OPEN FRONT REFRIGERATED CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1951 INVENTOR.

R m m M B N L U m L W W ATTORNEyS Patented May 12, 1953 OPENFRONTREFRIG'ERATED CABINET Paul H; Brinlioeter, San Antonio, Tex., assiznor to Ed Friedrich, Inc., San Antonio, Texa cor-- para-tion of. Texas.

Application August 8, 1951, Serial No. 240,833

2 Claims; 1

This invention" relates to an improvement in open front refrigerated cabinets, and particularly of the type employed for the display and sale of vegetables. I

The invention consists inlocating refrigerating coils along the back wall of the cabinet for the delivery of refrigerated air to the food compartment, and. in having a second cooling coil at the front of the cabinet arranged beneath the food shelves so that cold air will contact the shelves throughout their length and Width and maintain-the shelves in a'col'd condition to transmit cold to the vegetables by conduction.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter setforth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a top plan View partly insection.

The cabinet comprises front, back and end walls, II), II and I2, respectively. A horizontal partition I3 extends lengthwise of the cabinet, and is provided at its front edge and along the inner face of the front Wall Ill, with a longitudinal trough I4. Brackets I5 and I6 are provided for supporting the partition I3 on the front and back walls Ill and I I, respectively. The partition I3 divides the cabinet into an upper open food compartment I8 and a storage compartment 20. A small bank of finned cooling coils 22 is received in the trough I4 and extend the full length of the cabinet. A division plate 23 is supported adjacent the coils 22, and is spaced from the front wall III to provide an outlet air duct or passage 24 for directing the air beneath the coils from the food compartment I8. A perforated cover 25 is mounted over the duct 24 and at the forward edge of the food compartment I8. A thermo-pane glass panel 26 is mounted on the front wall ID in front of the food compartment I8.

A pressure air duct 28 is arranged along the inner face of the back wall II and is supported by the brackets IS. The front panel 29 of the air duct 28 forms the rear wall of the food compartment I8, and provides a support for the rear edge of the partition I3. The back wall I I of the cabinet is provided with a curved surface or concaved baffle 39 located over the open top of the air duct 28 for directing the cold air over the food compartment I8. Openings 3I are provided in the panel 29 near the top thereof through which cold air will be projected into the food compartment I8.

A plurality of imperforate display" shelf units are disposed above the partition I3 and between the front wall. It and panel 29 of the air" duct 28': to. provide a. shelf" 33' lengthwise of the'cabinet. Each shelf unit is provided with a down turned. edge or flange 34 35 atthe ends thereof. The flange 34 is supported. by a ledge 36 projecting from the front wall I'll and the-other.fiange 35 is supported on the panel 29 and over the par tition I31 as" shown in Figure l. The. shelf units are in. this manner: supported. above the cooling coils 22' and partition I3 and provide an air duct 31 therebetween. As indicated in dotted lines the shelf 33 may beadjustedor elevated by having; one edge or end of the flanges 35 resting on one or the other of the two ribs 38 formed on the outer faceof the'panel 29.

Mounted within. the air duct 28 are finned refrigerated coils 40, which in this instance are larger than the coils 22 and. afford a greater cooling area. The coils 49 are located between the panel 29 of the air duct 28 and the back wall of the duct and back wall II of the cabinet. A fan or blower housing 42 is mounted beneath the partition I3 and is provided with a fan 43. The

base 44 of the housing is supported by the brackets I5 and IS. A flue or tube 45 connects the housing 42 with the lower portion of the pressure air duct 28 beneath the coils 40.

The partition I3 is provided adjacent its rear edge with rows of perforations or openings 46 which form communication between the horizontal or suction duct 31 and the storage compartment 29. The fan 43 delivers air under pressure into the air duct 28 where it is cooled by the refrigerated coils 40, and the cold air is delivered to the food compartment I8 through the openings 3| in the front panel 29, and over the top of the air duct 29 by the curved baflle 30. The warm air from the food compartment I8 is drawn by the fan 43 through the perforated cover 25 into the duct 24 and trough I4, where the air is directed to the refrigerated coils 22, and then delivered to the suction duct 31. This cold air will cool the shelf 33 and its units, and by conduction the food or vegetables on the shelf will be chilled or frozen. The cold air of the suction duct 31 is delivered to the storage compartment 20 through the openings 46 at the rear end of the partition I 3, for the purpose of preserving the vegetables in the compartment 29. The air is withdrawn from the compartment 20 by the fan 43 into the fan housing 42 through an opening 41 in the base 44, and is then delivered to the air duct 28. In this manner the vegetables are subjected to a constant flow or circulation of thereof, refrigerating coils in said-trough, an

outlet duct disposed between said front wall'and said refrigerating coils providing an air outlet passage from said food compartment to said refrigerating coils, a removable shelf mounted above said partition and extending over said refrigerating coils and supported by said front zontally between said panel and said front wall and supported thereby, said partition having a food compartment and a storage compartment on opposite sides thereof, a trough formed in said partition along the front thereof and adjacent said front wall, refrigerating coils in said trough, an outlet duct located between said front wall and said refrigerating coils for conducting air from said food compartment to said trough and refrigerating coils, a removable shelf disposed above said partition and said refrigerating .coils and supported by said front wall and said front'panel to provide a suction chamber between :said shelf and said partition, said partition havwall and said front panel of said air pressure ductproviding a suction chamber between said shelf and said partition, said suction chamber having communication with said storage chamber adjacent said front panel of said air pressure duct,

refrigerating coils in said air pressure duct, said air pressure duct having communication with said food compartment, a fan housing mounted beneath said partition and connected to said air pressure duct, 'said'housing having an opening therein to provide communication with said storage compartment, and a fan in said fan housing for circulating air from said storage compartment to said air pressure duct through said ing openings therein adjacent said air pressure duct front panel 'to provide communication between said suction chamber and said storage chamber, said air pressure duct having communication with said food compartment, refrigerating coils mounted in said air pressure duct. a fan housing located. beneath said partition having a flue connected to said air pressure duct :beneath said refrigerating coils thereof, a base for said fan housing supported by said front and back Walls of the refrigerator having an openingtherein to provide communication between said storage compartment and said fan housing, ;and a fanin said fan housing for circulating air from said storage compartment through said air pressure duct and refrigerating coils to said food compartment and through said outlet-duct and refrigerating coils to said suction chamber and into said storage compartment.

PAUL H. BRINKOETER.

References Cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

